Sniper Nest Discovered After NFL Father is Assassinated at Airport–Only One Person Targeted

A terrifying story for sure. This attack does seem to be premeditated by a possible former disgruntled employee. The shooter was later found dead in the same parking garage. He appears to have committed suicide.

The father of an NFL player has been shot dead at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City with police saying the gunman has also been found dead.

Michael Winchester, 52, who was an employee with Southwest Airlines, died from gunshot wounds after the shooting that took place at 12:50pm yesterday, Oklahoma City Police Capt. Paco Balderrama said.

The victim’s son is Kansas City Chiefs’ player James Winchester who is currently a long snapper on the NFL team and a former punter for the University of Oklahoma.

Police believe that the suspect lay in wait for his victim to carry out the ‘premeditated attack’ and may have been a former disgruntled employee at the airport.

His body was later found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the back of a red pickup truck that was parked inside a garage on the second floor at the airport.

The suspect has so far only been identified as a white male, partly due to the extent of his injuries.

The deadly shooting resulted in the airport being placed on lock-down yesterday, as authorities investigated the scene for much of the afternoon and evening.

Authorities gave the all-clear to have the airport re-open and slowly resume operations at 7:33pm (ET).

Early reports indicated there might have been a second victim, however authorities have since ruled that out as a possibility.

KFOR reporter Lance West tweeted, citing unnamed sources, that police investigating the incident discovered a ‘sniper’s nest’ in the airport parking garage. The Oklahoma Police Department has yet to confirm that information.

Southwest Airlines released a statement confirming that the 52-year-old man killed in the shooting was an employee of the airline.

‘The Southwest Airlines Family is deeply saddened by the passing of our Southwest Family Member, and we extend our heartfelt sympathies and support to his family and Southwest Co-workers at this time,’ the press release read in part.

While in college, Winchester was a former punter for the University of Oklahoma and was on the 1985 national championship team.

Winchester is a father to six children, three of whom played sports his alma mater including his son James.